


home (never let me go)

by kwrites



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: AU, F/M, Fake Relationship, fake dating trope
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-15
Updated: 2015-08-18
Packaged: 2018-04-14 19:10:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4576368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kwrites/pseuds/kwrites
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>life is often a competition - in family, love and business. she just might win it all for him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. before i went under

**Author's Note:**

> Fake dating trope that kind of struck me and caused me to run away with it. I'm still working on Run - but I've unfortunately hit a little road block with it, and this kind of hit me all at once. I haven't abandoned it though and hopefully this will only help.
> 
> Anyways, hope you enjoy and let me know what you think. xo.

Oliver stared down into the glass of water on the table in front of him, wishing a different clear liquid was currently filling his glass. Unfortunately, it was only 12pm and as CEO of Queen Consolidated, getting drunk in the middle of the day was typically frowned upon. A few years ago, he might not have cared. Things were different now.

 

After his parents had suddenly passed away, he had found himself at the helm of the company - whether he wanted it or not. He hadn’t. Not at first, anyways.

 

Once his remaining family and friends had been able to pull his head out of his ass, he had realized he needed to get his act together and stop being a fucking idiot. This was his family’s company, their legacy, and he needed to make them proud. He couldn’t let his eternal laziness and selfish tendencies ruin something his father had spent years building from the ground up.

 

Fast forward to the present time, he worked his ass off as CEO of the company. He put in countless hours, driving himself to exhaustion to ensure the company stayed afloat. The first year had been incredibly tough. Oliver Queen came with a certain reputation, and the board and its shareholders were… decidedly not impressed. Investors had gotten nervous and things had been on shaky ground for a long time. Somehow, he had managed to convince them he was worthy of the position and things had been steadily improving ever since.

 

They were currently at the forefront of gaining a major client that would help expand funding for the Applied Sciences division by a milestone. He needed to focus and bring it home. There was no room for error.

 

Unfortunately, the news that had been delivered to him this morning had dumped a whole new pile of issues into his lap. He couldn’t afford the distraction, but it was there nonetheless.

 

His best friend’s voice finally broke him out of his silence.

 

“Oliver man, what the hell is going on with you? You’ve been acting weird all day and a fucking 10 just walked by our table and I swear you didn’t even take a glance at her ass. Which was slamming, by the way.”

 

Tommy Merlyn had been his best friend - his brother - for what seemed like his entire life. And when his parents had passed away, he had been an integral part of picking himself back up off the ground. He owed him everything.

 

“Sorry, Tommy. I’m just - I got some interesting news from my grandmother this morning.”

 

Taking a sip of his water, he continued. “You know my family’s old lakehouse up in Gotham? The one we used to vacation at?”

 

Tommy nodded, getting excited at the memories. “Of course dude, that summer when we were sixteen was the first time -” his voice died at the solemn look in his friend’s eye. “Sorry, man. Continue.”

 

“Well, with my parents… not being around anymore, and my grandfather getting sick, my grandparents just don’t have any use for it and don’t have time to keep up with the upkeep of the grounds. They don’t want to sell it, but for some reason they can’t decide whether to give it to me or my fucking cousin.”

 

A noise of disgust left Tommy’s mouth. “Carter? That douchebag? Why would they want to give it to him and not you?”

 

Oliver rolled his eyes, running his hand around the mouth of his glass, catching the condensation running down the side.

 

“You know Carter, the perfect man, the perfect family. He has a wife, and a child and apparently another one on the way and that’s what the lakehouse is for, apparently. Family. Which I do not possess, and according to my grandmother, probably never will.”

 

Oliver’s voice was glum and he couldn’t deny he was fucking pissed off. The lakehouse was one of the few remaining places that had any memories of his family and they were thinking of giving it to his cousin because he hadn’t decided to settle down yet? He had just gained enough responsibility to run an entire multi-million dollar company. Wasn’t that enough? Apparently not.

 

“The thing is, I know they want to leave it to me. I know they do. I feel like this is a heavy handed move by my grandma to get me to settle down and start a family. But now? So soon?”

 

Tommy threw him a look of skepticism. “C’mon buddy. You don’t really think they expect you to come home with a woman on your arm in the next few weeks do you?”

 

“I don’t know what they think, Tommy. But there’s no way Carter is getting that lakehouse. I have to come up with something to convince them.” Oliver shook his head. He had no idea what that idea was, but he needed to think fast. Which was fantastic, because he didn’t have a fucking second to think about this when work was requiring so much of his attention.

 

Tommy’s phone went off suddenly, and his attention went down to his phone as he texted quickly before waving down a waitress near by. Putting in an additional order, Oliver shot him a questioning look.

 

“I know you’ve been working out recently dude, but two meals for lunch?”

 

Tommy rolled his eyes in response, waving him off. “No, did I forget to tell you? Felicity just got back into town last night. She’s staying with me until she finds a job and can get into her own place.”

 

Oliver’s eyes widened slightly at the mention of Tommy’s younger sister. It had been at least ten years since he had seen the girl. When Tommy’s mother had died suddenly, Malcolm had sent her off to some technology-based boarding school, unable - or unwilling - to look at her, the spitting image of his wife. Growing up, Felicity had been around just as much as Tommy had. She had chased them around everywhere, and he had always had a soft spot for the girl.  

 

Then she was suddenly gone, and while he had missed her at first, he couldn’t pretend like he had spent years thinking much about her. He had spent too many years killing his brain cells with booze and sticking his dick into every girl that looked his way. Fuck, it was no wonder his grandparents didn’t want to give the house to him.

 

“What about Malcolm’s house? She didn’t want to spend time with daddy dearest?” His voice held a note of sarcasm, as he knew that things had been tense in their family ever since. He couldn’t blame Felicity for not wanting to spend time with the man that had shipped her off without a second thought.

 

“Fuck that. I wouldn’t let her even if she wanted to. She deserves better than that. Than him. It’s fine, she’s smart as hell. I doubt she’ll be on my couch for long, anyways. Although, with Iris, I hope it’s sooner rather than later. It’ll cramp my style to have my sister on the couch for too long. Anyways, what are you going to do about the lakehouse?”

 

“Who the hell knows? I wasn’t prepared to have this dropped in my lap like this.”

 

Oliver Queen was not ready to settle down, get married, or have children. Though reformed from his former ways, he was still known to jump from girl to girl and he wasn’t ashamed of it. He made sure they knew what he was and was not looking for. They never expected anything more from him - or they did and they found out quickly it was a mistake. He tried not to let that happen - he didn’t set out looking to hurt anyone. He just didn’t have any interest in a long term relationship. Not now, not any time soon.

 

But Carter getting his family’s lake house was out of the fucking question. He needed to come up with some type of plan. And fast.

 

“So, why don’t you just give them some sort of relationship? It doesn’t have to be anything long-term, just something that will last long enough to secure the house to you and get them off of your ass.”

 

Oliver shook his head. “I don’t know man. I just… I don’t do relationships. I just don’t. And I don’t want to hurt some unsuspecting girl by leading her on and letting her think that anything is going anywhere.” Not to mention, his reputation could not handle a messy break-up or some crazy girl spreading rumors about him to the press - something that has sadly happened before.

 

Tommy was silent for a second before speaking up. “I didn’t say it had to be a real relationship.” Oliver scoffed but he was quick to continue. “Hey, just listen to me for a second. Why don’t you find a girl to just play girlfriend to your boyfriend? Let her know the deal beforehand, take her out to dinner a few times, parade her past the grandparents, and woila! Lake house is yours. Then wait a few weeks and stage a break up. Who has to know?”

 

“Who is going to want to be my pretend girlfriend Tommy? What would be in it for them? Money? I’m not going to pay some girl to attend functions with me, I’m not that desparate. And if I find a nice girl who doesn’t want money, she’s going to want me. And it’s going to get messy.”

 

“There’s gotta be someone you know already who might be willing to help you out. You could offer them the occasional vacation at the house once it’s yours? What about McKenna?”

 

Oliver laughed. “My receptionist? C’mon. No, I’m pretty sure she has a boyfriend. And there’s no way in hell I’m asking any of my ex-girlfriends. That only leaves strangers - and there’s no way my grandparents will believe a fake relationship between me and some girl I’ve never met before. I’m not that good of an actor. It would have to be believable, man.”

 

He had just finished his sentence when he noticed that Tommy’s attention had drifted elsewhere. Waving at someone behind him, his face lit up.

 

“Felicity! Over here.”

 

Taking one look at the girl - no, the woman who had just walked up to their table, Oliver’s mouth dropped open. This was not the little girl he had known ten years ago. There were no pigtails or rosy red cheeks. This was not a thirteen year old girl anymore. If his calculations were right, she was now twenty-three to his twenty-eight, and she was a full-on woman.

 

And she was fucking sexy as hell.

 

Taking a stand next to her brother, Oliver couldn’t steal his eyes away from her. She looked familiar, sure, but she was full of curves and her lips were fuller, stained red with her lipstick, just begging to be kissed by him.

 

“Oliver! Hey, it’s so nice to see you again.”

 

He knew she was speaking, could see her mouth moving, but then she had enveloped him in a hug and _fuck_. Her soft curves pressed against him and for just a moment he thought about what it would be like to press back and cover her plump lips with his own. But just as quickly, she had pulled back, shooting him a quick smile before taking her seat next to Tommy.

 

“Thank god you ordered Tommy, I’m so hungry. The jet lag is real, my friends.”

 

Snapping out of it, he watched as she took a bite of her salad before moving over to her water, her lips closing around her straw and giving him incredibly inappropriate thoughts about his best friend’s little sister.

 

Oliver swallowed. Hard. Trying to ignore the tightening of his balls, his eyes snapped up at the sound of Tommy’s throat clearing. His best friend’s glare was directed solely at him.

 

“No problem, ‘lis. Anything for my little sister.”

 

Oliver knew he had been caught. Badly. He needed to change the subject and fast.

 

“Felicity, wow. It’s great to see you. It’s been too long. How is the job search coming along?” He tried to sound calm and aloof but he even he could tell his voice was high. He was a fucking moron.

 

She huffed, obviously not too happy with the topic at hand. “Surprisingly not great. You’d think someone with a degree in Computer Science wouldn’t have that hard of a go at it these days. I mean… computers and technology are kind of a big deal right now and all, right?”

 

Tommy cut in. “Felicity’s just being modest. You got a master’s degree from Oxford. In the time that most people have only gotten their bachelor’s degree.”

 

Sighing, she put her glass down. “I know, and I know I’m smarter than most. Don’t mind my modesty. But I spent so much time studying to get ahead that I didn’t do any internships or work any part time jobs. I have zero experience, and not many companies are willing to hire someone my age with no experience. Couple that in with the current shit state of the job market and… it’s okay. I just got into town, after all. I’ll find something.”

 

Oliver spoke up. “Why didn’t you participate in any internships or anything? What was the rush to get through school so quickly? Not that anythings wrong with that - I’m just surprised - you already have your Master’s? That’s really impressive Felicity.”

 

Her cheeks stained a light pink and she shrugged, trying to seem aloof. “It’s nothing. I honestly don’t know why I didn’t think to get an internship. I guess I was just so focused on finishing school and coming back home that I didn’t stop to think that I would have this problem. It’s stupid but here I am.”

 

Listening to her talk, the idea came to him. It was fucking crazy. Ludicrous, even. Tommy would kill him, no doubt. But here Felicity was. An old family friend - not a stranger. His grandparents had met her once or twice - she had even come to the lake house a couple of times when she was younger. She needed a place to stay that was not Tommy’s couch and she would be fucking perfect to come in and work at Queen Consolidated during his pitch. It was… perfect. He could help her while she helped him.

 

Staring at her, he found a smile beginning to stretch his face. She was truly perfect and she had just fallen into his lap. She was Tommy’s sister, so he would in no way, shape or form, try to put the moves on her and ruin everything. They could pull this off. He could fucking pull this off with her.

 

Tommy’s voice interrupted his thoughts. “Uhh, Oliver. Why are you grinning like that? You’re starting to freak us out.”

 

He ignored him. “Felicity, I have a job for you. I’ll hire you on the spot, as a matter of fact.”

 

Her eyes grew wide and the fork heading to her mouth, stopped suddenly. “What? What do you mean?”

 

“Well, as it turns out, you couldn’t possibly have better timing. I need to put together a pitch to sell a client that could potentially land Queen Consolidated with millions of dollars to expand our Applied Sciences division. I’m out of my depth, truly, and I need help - I _have_ to close this deal. Enter you.”

 

Felicity looked ecstatic, her face already lighting up at the possibilities but Oliver could sense Tommy’s hesitation. His mind was working a mile minute, no doubt putting the pieces together silently.

 

“Oliver, _no_.” His voice was stern, obviously not pleased with the idea.

 

“Tommy, shut up. It’s perfect. I don’t know Felicity’s work, but she’s always been brilliant - has to be, in order to have graduated with a Master’s degree from fucking Oxford at 23 years old.”

 

Felicity spoke up. “Tommy, this sounds perfect. Why would you be upset?”

 

“There’s one condition, Felicity. I think it’s small, and I think it would truly be beneficial for both of us. You need a job and a place to stay. I happen to have said job, and an extra room in my penthouse. I just need a favor for a few months.”

 

Finally looking suspicious, she nodded for him to continue.

 

“I need you to be my girlfriend for a few months.”

 

She choked, reaching for her water and taking a second before clearing her throat. “Umm… and why is that, exactly?”

 

“Sorry, not my real girlfriend. Just pretend, for a little while. Go to a few family dinners with me, a few work functions, no big deal.”

 

Tommy sat back in his chair, arms crossed against his chest and looking mightily pissed off. “No, Oliver. Not with my little sister.”

 

“C’mon, Tommy. It wouldn’t be for real anyways. And you were just saying that having her there for too long would cramp your style with Iris -” Felicity shot her brother a dirty look before turning her attention back to Oliver. “Nothing would happen. Just a few appearances here and there. Felicity gets a job and a place to stay for awhile until she saves up some money and finds her own. It’s perfect.”

 

Felicity bit her lip, clearly trying to weigh the idea in her mind and Oliver’s gaze was drawn directly to her mouth. Fuck. This wouldn’t be easy but it would be worth it if they could play it right.

 

“I won’t do anything with your sister - you know that. I value our friendship. I don’t even think of her like that buddy.” _You’re a fucking liar, Queen._

 

“Hey! I’m still sitting here. Able to speak for myself and defend my own honor. But, I’m missing some back story. Why do you need a fake girlfriend? I’m sure there are hoards of women lining up to date you.” Flushing red, she shut her mouth.

 

Sighing, he took a sip of his water and wipe his hands on his pants, suddenly feeling clammy. He was nervous. He had to sell this. It was likely his only chance. “My grandparents are passing the family lake house down now that my grandfather has gotten sick and my parents… are out of the picture. For some reason, they think giving it to Carter is the way to go because he has settled down or something. They want it to go to someone with family who will take care of it. Apparently, because I’m single, that’s not me. That’s where you come in.”

 

She looked back at him suspiciously, and still a little confused.

 

“Why me? Like I said, there must be other women happy to step in?”

 

“Felicity, to put it lightly, I don’t do real relationships and I don’t want to lead some woman on. Women, they look at me and my name and my money - and they _want_. They all want something. Look, I know it’s kind of weird and you just got back into town and we don’t know each other that well anymore but it’s just for a little while and you would really be helping me out. And listen, it’s not just on the fake girlfriend side, it’s on the business side, too. I really could use the help with this project - it’s a really big deal to me. My family’s company has become the only thing I have left of my parents and I need to keep it running successfully.”

 

Taking a breath and sensing he was beginning to ramble a bit, he looked back at her. She looked like she may be considering it. He hoped to all hell that she was considering it.

 

Smiling slightly, she nodded. “Okay. Okay. Why not? I really need the job and to be honest, you seem a little pathetic, begging for a fake girlfriend.”

 

Tommy snorted before looking back over at him. “Oliver, I swear to fucking god. You touch hurt - you hurt her, and you’re dead. I don’t care how long we’ve been best friends.”

 

He nodded, excitedly. “Fuck, you are a lifesaver, Felicity. I can’t thank you enough. Seriously. Feel free to pack up whenever you’re ready, you can move in whenever - how about Sunday? Start work on Monday?”

 

Biting her lip, she nodded, still a little hesitant but knowing she had already agreed to this… whatever this was.

 

Oliver’s eyes immediately found her mouth again and seconds later, Tommy’s throat cleared, loudly.

 

Fuck. He could do this, he would do this. The house was too important for him, and he would just need to keep reminding himself of that.

 

 


	2. a heavy choice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the wonderful response to the story! This chapter is a little shorter than the rest will be as it is more of a transition chapter. enjoy! xo

Felicity stood in front of the door to Oliver’s penthouse, hesitating. Was she really about to go through with this? Okay, it’s not like it was some crazy hardship for her. Oliver was giving her a really amazing job (although to be honest, she would've thought any job would've been amazing at this point), letting her stay with him and getting her off of Tommy’s couch.

 

Not to mention the fact that she was incredibly skeptical of who, or what, had been on that couch.

 

All she had to do was attend some events with him, maybe a hold a hand or two. 

 

How hard could it be?

 

Not to mention how incredibly attractive he was. If she was being honest, she had always harbored a bit of a schoolgirl crush on Oliver when she was younger. She remembers, even at thirteen years old, the smile that used to light up her face whenever they were in the same room together. He had been cute then - at eighteen years old, sure. But now, at twenty-eight and full of muscle, scruff and just... pure man?

 

He was incredibly gorgeous.

 

So, really, she needed to stop complaining.

 

Knocking on his door, she considered what had brought her here. After years abroad and time spent away from her family, she had been so ready to come home and begin her life in Starling again. There had been multiple times she had considered coming back before now, but then one event would domino into another and another year would pass by. Before she knew it, it had been ten years.

 

She had really missed her brother and Starling City. Among others.

 

Malcolm? Not so much.

 

But she was back now and she couldn’t deny how excited she was at the prospect of beginning her new life and thanks to Oliver, her new career. It was time for a fresh start.

 

Positivity and all of the new-life-hoopla aside, she still could not believe she had agreed to be Oliver’s fake girlfriend. To _live_  with him.

 

She heard the lock turn and she prayed she had not made a major mistake in agreeing to this arrangement. She knew nothing about Oliver anymore and she had impulsively agreed to all of this? No, this would work out. If not, she’d end up back on Tommy’s couch - jobless, but okay. It wasn’t a big deal. Right?

 

She steeled herself as the door opened, putting on what she hoped was a friendly face - but she honestly couldn’t tell at this point, her nerves too blown to keep a handle on her sanity.

 

Oliver’s large frame filled the doorway and her stomach plummeted. Had he looked this good the other day in the restaurant? There was no way she wouldn’t have noticed this. Him. She wouldn’t have agreed to this if she had seen this.

 

He stood before her in a plain black t-shirt, which to be honest, was probably a bit too small for him. It stretched across his muscles enticingly, however - so she wasn’t quick to complain. The smile that stretched his lips lit up his entire face and she was momentarily distracted by it as he held the door open wider for her.

 

“Felicity. Welcome to my place. Well, your new place, I guess. I can’t tell you again how much I appreciate this. You’re truly a life saver.”

 

Her hands gripped her bags tighter as if searching for a life-line and she smiled, heart pounding. Why was she so nervous all of a sudden? She needed to get a grip and remember this whole thing was a sham. It was fake - Oliver wasn’t here to date or woo her. He was essentially her boss, and she needed to remember that or the next couple of months were really going to be long.

 

She glanced up at him as she passed by and was struck by how tall he was compared to her. She finally took a second to really take him in. He had always been a bigger kid, but he had really filled out with age. His shoulders were enticingly broad and his eyes were still the striking light blue they had always been. She set her bags down and he wasted no time in grabbing her hand, pulling her into the apartment to give her “the tour” of her new home. The feel of his hand in hers felt too good, and she slowly tried to bring it back to her side without being too obvious or making it awkward.

 

She did not need to go having feelings for Oliver. Again. He had already plainly told her that he did not do relationships. He was a playboy, she knew this - it wasn’t news to her. She had kept up with the tabloids on the internet here and there. A different girl on his arm at every charity event.

 

She could not afford to get hurt again. The sting of her previous boyfriend’s betrayal still hung above her head and she cursed Cooper again for what felt like the thousandth time. _Asshole._

 

That had been over a year ago and she hadn’t been with anyone else since. That’s it. That must be why Oliver was having such a considerable effect on her. She was just feeling the absence of a man and physical comfort. Being in close proximity to one that was so attractive was just messing with her psyche. That was all.

 

He pointed out the kitchen, the laundry room - the essentials. It was when they got to her room - conveniently placed next to hers, that she stopped, wondering what she had really gotten herself into.

 

They were going to share a bathroom.

 

And it connected to both of their rooms.

 

“It’s never been an issue - I’ve never had anyone staying here, you know? But it’s okay - we’ll just both keep our doors shut and if we need to use the bathroom, we just need to make sure to lock both so we know not to enter when the other is inside.”

 

Nodding, she was skeptical, but it made sense. Kind of.

 

As they rounded out the tour, Oliver looked back at her. Really looked at her. “Felicity, I still can’t believe how much you’ve grown up.”

 

Her cheeks pinked and she smiled slightly. “Thanks, I think?” she laughed.

 

Blushing himself, he looked down for a second before looking back at her, dimples stretched wide.

 

“Sorry, that probably was kind of a weird thing to say. I just mean, you look… really good.” His fingers ran through his hair as his eyes skimmed her, casting a warm heat over her body.

 

He couldn’t have just checked her out. No. Nope. She was just tired. 

 

“Right. Anyways. I just meant that it’s really good to see you. I know Tommy is ecstatic that you’re back and so am I. And I don’t mean that just because you’ve agreed to my crazy plan.”

 

She laughed. “It is crazy, isn’t it?”

 

Shrugging, he nodded over to the couch, taking a seat himself. “I know it is, Felicity. I don’t have to be told that. But, listen. You knew Carter back in the day, right? Well, he’s only gotten worse. He is a world certified douchebag, your brother’s words - not mine - and there’s just no way that I can let him take the lake house. It means too much to me.”

 

Sitting down herself, she laid her hand across his. “Oliver, listen. I know I haven’t been around in a long time, and I know I might not have much of a right to say this but - I’m really sorry about your parents. And I’m truly sorry that I wasn’t able to make it back for their funeral or to be there for you.”

 

He shook his head, squeezing her hand lightly.

 

“Thank you, really. But there’s nothing to be sorry for Felicity. It’s been years and when it happened, you had already been gone for such a long time, and you were so young. I never would’ve expected…”

 

She cut him off. “I know. I know you didn't. But I did try to come back Oliver. I want you to know that. I know I’m younger than you and Tommy, but I really did consider us friends back then, too. You meant a lot to me.”

 

“I did too, Felicity.” He smiled back at her softly and she tried valiantly to ignore the dull ache taking residence in her chest.

 

It was then she realized Oliver still hadn’t let go of her hand.

 

Clearing her throat, she pulled her hand back, moving to grab one of the pillows to keep her hands busy. “Thanks again for letting me live here, Oliver. No matter how short of a stay, it’s infinitely better than living with my brother. Especially on his couch.”

 

He laughed softly. “Don’t even worry about it. He and Iris go at it so often you - sorry. You probably don’t need to know that. I just meant that if I were you, I wouldn’t want to stay there either. I hope you find the apartment okay. Is it to your liking?”

 

“Yeah, you’re definitely to my liking. I mean, it’s to my liking. It’s great.” Oh my god, Smoak. Seriously?

 

His lips turned up and she could tell he was trying to hide a grin. She could feel her cheeks warm but then the subject was changed, as if he knew she needed it to be over. 

 

“Here. I had a key made for you. I hope you make yourself at home, Felicity. For now, this place is as much yours as it is mine. For as long as you need. I want you to be comfortable here. So, please, let me know if you need anything.” He handed her the key, placing it on her palm, his fingers sliding against hers and sending a warm tremble down her spine. Shaking her head, she closed her hand around the key and smiled tremulously at him.

 

She couldn’t keep letting him do this to her. She was a strong, independent woman. She could live here without being distracted by him 24/7. She could.

 

“Thanks, Oliver. Really. You’ve been really accommodating - just, thank you. I hope it’s okay but I’m going to go catch some shut eye now. I’m afraid I’m still feeling the jet lag from my flight across the pond. I have to be up and at ‘em for my new job tomorrow. I hear my new boss is a real tyrant.”

 

He grinned back at her, eyes sparkling. “And don’t you forget it. Good night, Felicity. We’ll leave around eight?”

 

She nodded, picking her bags up and heading down the hall towards her room.

 

Though she mostly had begged off to get herself together and straighten her head out, she really was exhausted. And the bed Oliver had given to her? The white sheets and pillow top mattress really looked heavenly. Much better than Tommy’s leather couch.

 

Unpacking, she emptied out her bags before quickly using the restroom and preparing for bed. Settling in, she felt herself drift off before she knew it.

 

\------------

 

She woke up sometime in the middle of the night. Try as she might, rolling over and falling back asleep was clearly not an option. The tell tale sign of thirst was demanding to be sated and she knew she needed to find some water quickly or she'd be doomed to hours of tossing and turning.

 

Stretching, she pulled herself up and out of the bed. Looking down at herself, she faltered for a second. Preparing for bed, her small white tank and short sleep shorts with no bra were a comfortable option. But not one meant for walking around where others may see.

 

This will be quick though and Oliver was most likely asleep. He wouldn’t see her. Opening her door softly, she looked around quickly, looking for any indication that he might be awake. But she found his door closed.

 

It might be silly of her, but she wasn’t comfortable in the apartment yet. Not enough to walk around scantily clad. And the tension between her and Oliver was already high enough without being half naked around him. No, that wouldn’t do at all.

 

Slowly creeping down the hallway, she passed by the tastefully decorated living room - finally allowing herself to observe her new home. She had been much too distracted by Oliver earlier to fully appreciate her new digs. She had to say, she was impressed by Oliver’s apartment. Of course, she knew he most likely had not decorated all by himself, but for the requisite bachelor, it really was beautiful.

 

Reaching the kitchen, she went straight for the fridge, pulling out the ramekin of water. Moving to the cabinets, she realized she had no idea where anything was in his kitchen and there were no shortage of cabinets for her to explore. Setting the water down, she began pulling door after door open until she found a glass.

 

Then she heard the muffled throat clear behind her and she froze, ramekin in hand as she turned around.

 

Oliver stood at the opposite end of the kitchen. His eyes were dark from the shadows of the light playing across his face as he stood, drinking slowly from an almost empty glass of milk. Felicity swallowed as she watched the muscles of his neck strain with his actions, her eyes slowly dipping down as she realized then that he was shirtless, sweatpants slung low across his hips.

 

 _Are you kidding me?_ She screamed internally. The muscles of his abs almost glistened in the dim light of the kitchen and she could practically feel their firmness underneath her fingers. Imagined them sliding up and down the ridges and indentations, down lower...

 

She inhaled through her nose, her breath hitching as she fought to shake herself out of her Oliver-induced haze.

 

“Jesus, Oliver, you scared me. I didn’t see you there.”

 

Oliver’s eye rose slightly, but still he said nothing. His eyes dipped down, watching her over his glass and it was then that she remembered what she was wearing. Her eyes widened, her mouth opened in a silent gasp, but she remained frozen. Oliver’s gaze slid from her bra-less chest, down her legs - her shorts showing a considerable expanse of skin, sending every nerve in her body ablaze. His jaw tightened, and she closed her eyes as she tried to figure out how to get herself out of this one.

 

Opening her eyes, she bit her lip and met his gaze, which had at some point found its’ way back to her own. He opened his mouth to say something, but she beat him to it. She wasn’t sure what was going to come out of his mouth but she knew she needed to put an end to it.

 

It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Oliver. No, she just didn’t trust herself right now.

 

“I’m just going to go to bed,” she said quickly. Her grasp tightened around the glass and water ramekin, “We have to be up early, so I should be … going.” Staring at him for a beat longer, she groaned internally before turning around and quickly walking down the hall towards her new room.

 

She thought she heard a sigh, or a quiet groan, but she willed herself to keep walking and stop thinking about the charged moment they had just shared. She was never going to be able to fall back asleep at this rate.

 

Back in the comfort of her room, she poured herself a glass of water, mentally smacking herself for being too starstruck by him to put the bottle back in the fridge. Vowing to herself to be stronger around him, she settled back into the sheets and willed herself not to dream about Oliver Queen’s heated gaze.

 

 


End file.
